If you’ve installed a rain garden at your home, you can have a yard sign to show your neighbors, friends, and family members your participation in water conservation and beautifying your neighborhood! Please visit the Franklin Soil & Water Conservation District office to buy your sign for just $15, or call for any questions (614-486-9613). Cash and checks are accepted. You can also visit our Resources page to calculate how much water your rain garden collections annually.

On behalf of Friends of Alum Creek and Tributaries (FACT), thank you to the thirty-three volunteers who took time on a beautiful Saturday morning (Sept. 12th) to plant a rain garden and remove invasive honeysuckle in Casto Park. Overall, 78 native wildflowers and grasses were planted next to the picnic shelter in a rain garden and nearly 300 linear feet of invasive honeysuckle was removed along West Spring Run. These actions are important!

Special thanks to the following organizations, businesses, and individuals:

Otterbein College for providing outstanding volunteer “Plunge” helpers this spring and fall 2009 at Casto Park to hands-on address erosion along West Spring Run.

Ohio Dominican University students who helped turn the ground in the early hours and stayed past lunch to help clean up.

Ohio American Water Company for funding the rain garden plant materials plus the future trees/bushes to be installed in October.

Stephanie Suter at Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District for her rain garden technical expertise.

Tina Mohn, from Columbus Recreation and Parks, for providing on the ground assistance and city encouragement.